ABSTRACT

Newcastle University’s (UNEW’s) enhanced the test section of their existing flow-cell facility. New measurement section is to measure the pressure drop (and hence frictional drag) across coated surface of a standard flat test panel (of Length x Width x Thickness: 0.6m x 0.22m x 0.015m in size). The panel can be tested as cleanly coated as well as exposed to light biofilm growth. Based on pressure gradients the calculated skin friction coefficients of these surfaces were compared with the results of the measurements obtained by other well-established methods to predict the skin friction,

i.e. measuring boundary layer of the same surfaces using a Laser Doppler Velocimetry (LDV) system in the UNEW’s Emerson Cavitation Tunnel (ECT), to evaluate the pressure drop methodology.

This paper presents design and calibration of the flowcell to investigate skin-friction of three different surfaces coatings in a fully developed turbulent flow.